Dallas ISD advanced a $6.2 billion school modernization and safety bond proposal, according to a press release.
The Dallas ISD school board voted to place the bond proposal on the May 2nd ballot. The plan proposes to modernize campuses, strengthen safety, replace aging facilities, and expand permanent classroom space, officials say.
The proposal was made with help from the Bond Steering Committee, whose members were appointed by the Dallas ISD School Board. Over 65 meetings were held for input and feedback regarding the proposal, according to the district.
If passed, the bond would:
remove the district’s 700 remaining school portables (used by nearly 10,000 students)
upgrade safety and security at all campuses
upgrade student technology and purchase new school buses
upgrade physical education facilities
repair the district’s swimming pools
The bond will be broken up into four propositions on the May ballot, with Proposition C refinancing $143 million in debt to be funneled back into resources for classroom operations, Dallas ISD officials state.
The bond would require a one cent tax increase on homeowners with a home value over $500,000, resulting in just over $30 annually, according to the release. Homeowners 65 and older who have applied for exemption with the Homestead Act would not see an increase unless major improvements are made to their property.
The one cent tax increase would still keep Dallas ISD’s tax rate the lowest of the top 10 largest schools in North Texas. And with the state tax rate compression, Dallas ISD’s tax rate is forecasted to be lower during the next three years, the release states.
The last school bond program that was passed in 2020 created more than 64,000 jobs, funded 15 replacement schools and six new facilities, and four career institutes, while supporting safety, accessibility, and energy-efficient upgrades across over 200 campuses, according to the district.